Rinaldo's Cafe
Las Ramblas
Nicole ScolaLoyola College of Baltimore
When you first step on to Las Ramblas street in Barcelona, you are overwhelmed by the beauty of the place with its ornate Spanish buildings. Walking down Las Ramblas is a local tradition. Most towns in Spain have a Las Ramblas street, where residents stroll for hours each evening.
Entertainers line the wide median of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, which runs from Placa Portal de la Pau to the Christopher Columbus monument at the city's main harbor. Mimes dressed as kings and religious figures stand like statues while the crowds stroll by. Jugglers toss knives and flaming batons, and puppet masters pull the strings and sing the songs of colorful costumed puppets. Children scream with glee and run to parents for coins to give the puppeteer.
The scent from the food vendors and flower stands that line the street, the couples strolling arm-in-arm and the Spanish architecture of the buildings add to the carnival atmosphere. You will feel as if you have entered a storybook and see why W. Somerset Maughan called Las Ramblas, "the most beautiful street in the world."
